The invention relates to ankle braces. More particularly, the invention relates to devices for protecting ankle ligaments against injury resulting from hyperinversion or hypereversion of the foot relative to the ankle.
The ankle joint permits two types of pivotal movement of the talus or ankle bone about the leg bone, namely a generally up and down pivotal movement of the foot within the plane of the leg bone, commonly referred to as dorsiflexion and plantarflexion, and side-to-side pivotal movement of the foot relative to the ankle, commonly referred to as inversion and eversion. As is well known, excessive inversion (xe2x80x9chyperinversionxe2x80x9d) and excessive eversion (xe2x80x9chypereversionxe2x80x9d) of the foot can damage the ligaments at the ankle joint and cause ankle sprain which is a painful and sometimes debilitating injury.
One commonly used technique for reducing the possibility of ankle sprain or reinjury of a sprained ankle is to wrap tape tightly around the ankle joint to partially restrict movement of the foot about the leg. While somewhat effective for supporting the ankle against hyperinversion and hypereversion (hereinafter collectively referenced as xe2x80x9chyperversionxe2x80x9d), this technique has proven to be of limited value in preventing hyperversion. In addition, the technique has not gained widespread acceptance as it is time consuming to apply the tape at frequent intervals and is often uncomfortable and irritating to the wearer.
Accordingly, a wide variety of mechanical or orthopedic appliances have been designed to protect the foot against undesirable movement during rehabilitation. Theses braces are generally quite bulky and permit only limited movement of the foot. Such rehabilitation braces are not designed for use during a physical activity. Typical examples of such rehabilitation braces are disclosed in Crispin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,768 and Young, U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,588.
Other, sports braces have been designed primarily to prevent injury or reinjury of the ankle by restricting movement of the foot about the leg at the ankle joint while still permitting a range of movement sufficient to allow the wearer to participate in athletics. These ankle braces are sometimes designed to be worn inside the shoe of the wearer while others are designed to be worn outside the shoe.
Ankle braces designed for use inside the shoe of the wearer are generally preferred as they do not require use of a customized shoe, require modification of the shoe to accommodate attachment of the brace to the side of the shoe, nor interfere with traction due passage of a strap member underneath the shoe. However, in order to provide sufficient bracing against the substantial forces encountered at the ankle joint during normal athletic activity, in-the-shoe braces tend to be too bulky, heavy, and/or restrictive for routine use during athletic activity. Furthermore, such in-the-shoe braces tend to be uncomfortable and result in rubbing and chaffing of the ankle as they are designed to be worn tightly against the ankle and tend to be pressed even tighter against the ankle and foot by athletic shoes which are generally designed to conform as closely as possible to the shape of the foot.
Efforts to design a light and comfortable in-the-shoe ankle brace tend to result in ankle braces which are not sturdy enough to withstand the large forces that act upon the components of the brace.
It is well understood that some inversion and eversion movement of the ankle is necessary to permit effective athletic activity. Excessive restriction of the inversion and eversion of the ankle tends to interfere with such athletic actions as planting a foot to change direction or maintaining balance on uneven ground. While some braces permit limited inversion or eversion movement, they tend to require a complicated and time consuming routine in order to apply and adjust the brace.
Accordingly, there is a need for an easy to use, inexpensive and comfortable in-the-shoe ankle brace that freely permits a normal range of movement of the foot at the ankle joint while simultaneously preventing hyperversion.